A respected referees’ assessor, Dele Atoun has raised doubts over the chances of Nigerian clubs succeeding in the forthcoming African continental competitions.
Speaking against the backdrop of the deadline of next week given by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to all continental campaigners to submit their squad lists, Atoun reckoned that it will be an uphill task for Nigeria’s four teams.
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Although Atoun conceded that Enyimba of Aba in the CAF Confederation Cup and Remo Stars of Ikenne in the Champions League may have the leverage of continuity guiding them, he expressed worries about the other two teams.
He is of the view that Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Rangers International of Enugu have been out of the continent for too long, while Federation Cup winners, El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri may not be strong enough, considering that they were in the lower division up till last month.
With those viewpoints, Atoun, who is a well-respected retired referee, opined that lack of continuity might become the greatest undoing for Nigeria in the next CAF club campaigns.
Speaking with Sports 247, Atoun who is also now the secretary of Lagos State Referees Association, stressed: “One of the greatest undoing of Nigeria’s teams on the continent is that almost every year we produce new qualifiers.
“Unlike other countries, where you know which club will qualify for the continent, it’s a different case in Nigeria. On the other hand, in Egypt, for instance, we know that Al-Ahly and Zamalek will always be there.
“Even when we go to Europe, you know there are some teams that will always be in the continent. Consistency gained over some time has helped such teams to gain continental experience, and they begin to do well.
“In Nigeria, almost every year, we produce newcomers. This year, we have new Federation Cup winners and new NPFL champions.”
Atoun, though, noted the consistency shown in recent years by Remo Stars and how Enyimba remains relevant in the scheme of things, but he expressed doubt about the chances of Rangers and El-Kanemi.
“Remo Stars have become the only Nigerian team that has now qualified for the continent three years consecutively.
“Similarly, one Nigerian team that we will often see in the continent is Enyimba. With two trophies in the Champions League, they have been our best team when it comes to continental matches.
“On the other hand, from nowhere, El-Kanemi, an NNL team, qualified for the continent this year, and Rangers won the NPFL to qualify for the Champions League again, after many years of absence.
“The last time they did that was in 2016, and they were later in the Confederation Cup after they won the Federation Cup in 2018 when it was still known as the Aiteo Cup.
“That is why, for me, it is difficult to determine how well Nigeria is going to perform in the continent next season, because of this lack of consistency,” Atoun reasoned.
